COOL AND COOL HUE FLOOD
Not only does it impress with its unique color, this dish also has a very interesting way of enjoying it, eaten with shrimp paste, figs or melon... making any diner curious to try it.
It is known that this is the nuoc (or swallow - according to Hue people's pronunciation) - a type of legless mollusk common in brackish lagoons in Hue, found in abundance in Cau Hai lagoon, Tam Giang lagoon...
Hue's Swallow is becoming a trend on social platforms in Vietnam.
The swallow is related to jellyfish, there are two types: the ear swallow (clear white) and the foot swallow (with black dots quite similar to jellyfish). At first glance, many people often mistake the swallow for a jellyfish because of its transparent outer shell. However, the swallow is much smaller than the jellyfish, about the size of a ping pong ball with a special highlight of eye-catching blue color.
Most people in other provinces often confuse the two, and many cannot distinguish between the two. The two are just a species of the same family as the jellyfish, crystallized from water, but the jellyfish lives in the salt water of the sea, and is present all year round in all seas; the two are only formed in brackish water from the “scum” (scum) of water, smaller than the jellyfish, clear and only available for one season a year.
WHEN IS HUE WATER SEASON?
The season lasts for about 2 months. The nuoc floats when it is sunny, most often from morning to noon. The hotter the sun and the lighter the wind, the more dense the nuoc floats. However, when there is a strong wind, they appear and disappear, so people jokingly call the nuoc "ghost of the lagoon"!
When the season of water spinach comes, it not only makes the meals in the ancient capital more colorful, but also brings a wonderful cool feeling, helping to soothe the tired bodies of both children and adults. At the same time, it also has the ability to soothe the skin, helping to eliminate prickly heat effectively.
DELICIOUS DISHES WITH SNAKES
The snail is inherently harmless, cool to eat, not fishy and not itchy like jellyfish, so it is often caught by local people as food and processed into many delicious dishes.
Currently, many videos reviewing the dish appear frequently on social networks, making many people curious about the taste of this strange dish. This seafood is commented by everyone that "the faint salty taste gives us the feeling of the taste of the sea and lagoon; when eaten, it has the cool, sweet taste of fresh seafood".
Snail with Hue shrimp paste
Nuoc is a very cool dish in the hot days of Hue. Buy fresh nuoc, soak it in water, squeeze it dry. Nuoc is eaten with Hue shrimp paste with lemon juice, sugar and a few slices of fresh chili. In addition, when enjoying this dish, you cannot miss sliced figs, green banana, sour star fruit and herbs such as perilla, mint...
The ear jellyfish is eaten raw like the pickled jellyfish in the North, dipped in Hue shrimp paste, with sliced figs and cool, crunchy melon.
Dip with Hue shrimp paste, add a little minced garlic, cut into slices of hot chili, add a little lemon and sugar. Served with fresh figs, sour star fruit, green banana, herbs such as perilla, mint, and perilla with a light spicy taste to enhance the flavor of Hue nuoc dish. Besides, people also choose to eat nuoc with shrimp paste and fresh, juicy, juicy melon cut into thick slices. Fresh nuoc dish eaten with shrimp paste, herbs, figs, and melon is also considered by diners as "Hue sashimi".
Salad made from sea urchin's feet
Salad made from the feet of the snail is also very popular with locals and tourists when they have the opportunity to travel to Hue. The chewy and crunchy feet are mixed with typical fish sauces of the ancient capital or eaten with raw vegetables... Although the preparation and enjoyment are simple, they are enough to make diners fascinated and satisfied.
Rice noodles with vinegar
Bun vinegar nuoc is also a delicious dish made from the nuoc that you should try. The nuoc will be soaked in guava leaves, then squeezed dry. Bun vinegar nuoc is made from the legs of the nuoc and is very delicious thanks to the broth. This broth is made from fresh shrimp, peeled and headless, leaving the tail for beauty. Season with enough spices to absorb. Cut the pork belly into bite-sized pieces, marinate with spices. Fry oil with onions until fragrant, add a little chili powder, stir-fry the shrimp and meat. Simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes to let the shrimp and meat absorb, then add enough broth to cover.
If you have the opportunity to visit Hue in the summer, you definitely should not miss the vermicelli with vinegar dish - a special dish only found in Hue and only sold in the summer.
When eating, you put shredded banana flower, herbs, vermicelli into a bowl, add the water spinach and peanuts on top. Next, you add the sauce, a little Hue shrimp paste, mix well and enjoy. You can also eat vermicelli with vinegar and water spinach with rice paper and spicy chili. When enjoying, you will feel the cool crunchy taste of the water spinach, the spicy herbs, the crunchy banana flower, mixed with the rich, delicious sauce.
Eat according to the season, each season has its own food. Every year when the season comes, from the lagoon areas near Hue such as Thuan An, Chuon market... the stalls of the species are displayed in many markets. The tiny species are kept in barrels or basins filled with brackish water to keep them fresh.
The slightly salty taste of the nuoc gives us the feeling of the taste of the sea and lagoon; when eaten, it has the cool and sweet taste of fresh seafood. Therefore, the nuoc in Hue is not only a delicious and cool dish, but it also evokes many memories of the image of rivers in the countryside of Hue people far from home...
